In Japan there are about 130
universities which offer curricula in
architectural design and building engineering. The number
of graduates from these universities is
roughly 12,000 every year. Most graduates get jobs with
architectural firms, building contractors, construction
equipment firms, government, and universities.
Architectural designers and construction supervisors must
obtain licenses as first-class Kenchikushi (architects
and building engineers), second-class Kenchikushi or
wooden building Kenchikushi. The total number of
Kenchikushi recently exceeded 500,000. Some of them are
members of AIJ.

Under the Japanese
educational system, both civil engineering and
architecture department belong to the faculty of
engineering of a typical university. Therefore, a student
has to select either of the two departments when deciding
on a future specialty. Architecture courses provide
professional education both in design fields, such as
architectural design, and in civil engineering fields,
such as structural engineering. On the other hand, civil
engineering courses teach engineering geared to
transportation systems, bridge structures, dam
construction and other public infrastructure projects.
Most graduates from architecture departments work as
either architects or building engineers, while those from
civil engineering departments become civil engineers.
Graduates from architecture departments may join the
Architectural Institute of Japan (AIJ), while those from
civil engineering departments may join the Japan Society
of Civil Engineers (JSCE). Japan is located in the most
seismically active zone in the world. Consequently, many
researchers and engineers in the structural and material
engineering fields have been engaged in research on
earthquake engineering and fire safety engineering within
AIJ. Until the late 1960s, the height of buildings was
restricted to 31m, to reduce damage from strong
earthquakes. The late Dr. Kiyoshi Muto, a former AIJ
President, developed an earthquake-resistant building
design method which simulates dynamic response on
computers. Using his structural design method, the first
high-rise building (Kasumigaseki Building) reaching 156m
in height was successfully constructed in 1968. Since
then, more than 100 buildings exceeding 100m in height
have been constructed in this seismically active country.
There has been a significant development in earthquake-resistant
construction methods, and Japan leads the world in the
field of earthquake engineering. At the same time,
significant developments have also taken place in the
fields of material and construction engineering, which
contribute to an improvement in the overall quality of
buildings. As this shows, many researchers and engineers
who might be classified in a civil engineering field in
Western countries are active in the Institute in the
areas of building structural engineering, building
material engineering and building environmental
engineering.

Some 20 percent of AIJ members are
architects who are employed as building designers. Most of these
architects are employed in architectural design firms, but some work at
design departments of construction companies or government and public
offices. Many architects, such as Messrs. Arata Isozaki,
Fumihiko Maki and Tadao Ando are members of AIJ.